Thread-unwinder



(No Model.)

L. R. HOPKINS.

THREAD UNWINDER.

No. 320,788. Patented June 23, 1885.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LYMAN R. HOPKINS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TH READ-UNWINDER.

$PBCIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,788, dated June 23, 1885.

Application filed November 29, 1894. (No model.)

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN R. HOPKINS, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thread-Unwinders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the upper part of one of my improved thread-unwinders, and a side elevation, partly in section; of the lower part of the same. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same, partly in section, through the line 00 m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the traveler.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, convenient, and inexpensive mechanism to be placed upon a sewing-machine table to hold a large stationary spool, and guide the thread in its passage from the spool to the needle-bar, and which shall be so constructed as to stop should the thread break, and thus prevent the thread from being entangled by the forward movement of the machine caused by its momentum.

The invention relates to a thread-unwinder constructed with a base having a central pin and an arm supporting a standard carrying an adjustable arm having a clamping-screw, and supporting an annular plate having an arm slotted to receive the standard and clamp ingscrcw, and provided with a ring carrying a traveler having an eye to receive the thread, and an adjustable arm attached to the upper end of the standard and provided with a thread-receiving eye, as will be hereinafter fully described, and then claimed.

A represents the base of the mechanism, which is made circular in its general form, and has a pin, B, attached to its center to enter the bore of the spool (J and hold the said spool securely in place. Upon one side of the base A is formed an arm, D, which is perforated to receive the end of a rod, E. The lower end of the rod E, which serves as a standard, is secured in place by a setscrew, F, passing in through the said arm and resting against the said rod.

Upon the upper part of the rod 7 E is sooured the hub of an arm, G, by a setscrew, H. The outer end of the arm G is provided with a bolt, I, having a handnut, which bolt passes through a slot in an arm, J, formed upon the side of a plate, K, so that the said plate can be adjusted forward or back, or to one or the other side, by loosening the bolt I.

In the plate K is formed a circular aperture to receive a ring, L, similar to the rings of ring-spinning machines.

M is a traveler, the ends of which are curved outward and downward into hool; form, to engage with the upper and lower edges of the ring L. Upon the middle part of the traveler M is formed an eye, N, to receive the thread, and which is turned a little to one side of the vertical plane of said traveler, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which eye comes in contact with the inner surfaceof the ring L, and prevents the traveler M from being drawn so much to one side by the tension ofthe thread as to cause the curved ends of the said traveler to bind upon the said ring. From the eye N of the traveler M the thread passes through the eye O, formed upon the end of the arm 1?, the other end of which has a hub formed upon it to receive the upper end of the rod E, where it is secured in place by a set-screw, Q. The arm P is designed to be of such a length that the eye 0 will be directly over the center of the ring L.

With this construction the unwinder can be readily adjusted as the size of the spool may requlre.

Having thus described myinvention, Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A thread-unwinder constructed substantially as herein shown and described, and consisting of the base A, having pin B and arm D, the standard E, the adjustable arm G, having clamping-screwLand the annular plate K, having slotted arm J, the ring L, the traveler M, having central eye N, and the adjustable arm P, having guide-eye O, as set forth.

2. In a thread-unwinder, the combination, with the base A, guide-arm P, and the adjustable plate K J, of the ring L and traveler M, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a thread-unwinder, the combination, with the standard E: and the ring-carrying adjustable arm G, having clampingscrew I, middle, said eye being to one side of the ver- 10 substantially as herein shown and described, tical plane of the traveler, to prevent its bind- Whereby the said annular ring-carrying plate ing on the ring, as described. can be readily adjusted, as set forth. LYMAN R. HOPKINS.

4. The combination, with the ring L, of the traveler M, formed with hooks at its opposite ends, embracing the upper and lower edges of I WVitnesses:

JAMES T. GRAHAM,

annular plate K, having slotted arm J, of the the ring, and with an eye, N, at or near its 1 I O. SEDGWIOK. 

